WND-TV

Santa Monica teacher, student fight caught on camera

A violent confrontation between a teacher and a student at Santa Monica High School was caught on cellphone video. The teacher is now on leave and an investigation is underway.

The teacher, Mark Black, who is also the wrestling coach, pinned the student to the ground. In an email to parents, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Superintendent Sandra Lyon says the teacher's behavior is "utterly alarming."

She placed Black on leave during an independent investigation.

"Until the investigation is complete, we will not have all the details that led up to this incident; nevertheless, based on what I have viewed, the kind of physical restraint used by the teacher is unacceptable," Lyon said.